Disposable bib



July 25, 1967 c. H. ROWE ETAL 3,332,547

DISPOSABLE BIB Filed June 15, 1965 United States Patent 3,332,547 DISPOSABLE BIB Carl H. Rowe, Fremont, and Arnold II. Buss, Appleton, Wis, assignors to Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 15, 1965,.Ser. No. 463,990 7 Claims. (Cl. 20656) This invention relates to disposable bibs made from flexible sheet material, and more particularly to improvements in the construction of such bibs.

The advantages of disposable bibs from the standpoint of sanitation, reduction in laundry needs, and general convenience to the user are well known. Evidence of the desirability of such bibs is found in the large number of existing patents directed to various disposable bib constructions. The development of the art shows the introduction of many desirable features in disposable bib construction including: cohesive means for attachment, packaging in continuous rolls, crumb-catching pockets, various adjustable neck openings, belt-like fasteners, absorbent facings, moisture impermeable backings, and the like. However, in testing the available disposable bibs, one of the major failings found in their construction was an inherent weakness in the yoke or fastening tab portion. The fastening tabs in one-piece bibs are norm-ally the narrowest part of the bib structure and unless some reinforcement means is provided, it is the tab area which tears first when stresses are applied during use. Ways of adding reinforcement are known but unfortunately are relatively expensive, and tend to destroy much of the cost advantages disposable bibs should enjoy. An inexpensive means has now been discovered for strengthening the yoke portion of the bib structure without adding to the manufacturing or raw material cost thereof by utilizing a portion of the starting material which is normally discarded.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a disposable bib having a reinforced yoke portion.

Another object is to provide a disposable bib having a reinforced yoke portion which bib is readily fabricated in one piece from sheet material and wherein all the material contained in the starting piece is retained in the finished article.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the accompanying drawings and description.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the back side of flexible sheet material from which the bib may be made. The figure also includes a representation of the first step involved in manufacturing the bib.

FIG. 2 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 showing particularly the reinforced yoke portion of the bib.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the front side of another embodiment of the bib.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one arrangement of the subject bibs in continuous roll form.

The flexible sheet material from which the bib is made comprises an elongate, substantially rectangular sheet generally designated 12. The particular material shown in the drawing comprises a thin film of moisture resistant plastic material 13, such as polyethylene, laminated to an absorbent fibrous web 14, such as cellulose waddinga construction well known in the art. The plastic film usually comprises the back side of the finished bib and the absorbent fibrous web usually comprises the front side. For some uses, however, the position of these two materials may be reversed. It is also understood that other suitable flexible sheet material may be used. Non- 3,332,547 Patented July 25, 1967 woven Webs of synthetic fiber or carded cotton fibers, for example, may be employed as the top absorbent portion, as may multiple plies of cellulose wadding. Wet strength treatment may also be incorporated therein. The moisture resistant backing material may comprise other thermoplastic films such as polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl acetate and their copolymers, polyvinylidene chloride, polypropylene, nylon, pliofilm, and the like. Film thicknesses in the range of 0.5 mil to 5 mil have been found useful. The moisture resistance backing may also comprise a continuous or discontinuous coating of thermoplastic resin, wax or the like.

In fabricating the bib, the upper portion of the rectangular sheet 12 is slit inwardly from the center of the upper edge 15 a substantial distance, as shown at 16. Normally the length of this slit will be from /3 to slightly less than half of the length of the starting sheet. A second slit 17 in the form of a semi-circle, arcs upwardly from the bottom 18 of slit 16 to points 19 and 20 located approximately halfway between slit 16 and the respective side edges 21 and 22 of the sheet material. The slitting may be done by suitable die-cutting equipment.

After the slits are made in the upper portion of the starting sheet of rectangular material, as shown, the lower main body portion is retained in flat, planar form, while inner sections 23 and 24 of the upper portion are folded up and over onto outer strips 25 and 26 and adhesively attached thereto over the entire mutually contacting surfaces by suitable means. Since polyethylene is suggested for use in the illustrated embodiment, adhesive attachment may be accomplished by heat-sealing the plies together, such as by passing the folded edges through heated calender rolls. It is understood, however, that a suitable adhesive coating may also be used for purposes of obtaining this laminated structure.

The resulting product after the above operation is shown in FIG. 2, which is also a rear view, wherein area 27 generally indicates the lower main bib portion and area 28 generally indicates the upper yoke portion including reinforced neck fastening straps 29 and 39. As shown, straps 29 and 30 comprise double thicknesses of the starting material laminated over the entire area of their common contacting surfaces.

Adhesive means for attaching the bib around the neck during use and for forming a crumb-catching pocket may be subsequently applied in a known manner. Also, because of the reinforced strap construction provides additional strength, attachment of the straps when the bib is placed on the wearer may also be done by pins or other separate fastening devices.

FIG. 3 is a front view of another modification of the bib, wherein, instead of having an arcuate neck-receiving section as shown at 31 in FIG. 2, a rectangular neck receiving section 32 is provided. Other similar configurations may also be employed.

The construction shown in FIG. 3 is otherwise similar to that of FIG. 2 in that the improved reinforced yoke portion or neck fastening straps 3'3 and 34 comprise laminated strips in Which the folded over central sections of the sheet material are adhesively attached to marginally located strip-like sections of the starting sheet material. Also shown in this drawing are the above-mentioned adhesive means for use in attaching the neck straps when the bib is placed on the wearer. Such means may comprise a strip 35 of cohesive substance on the front of strap 34 and a cooperating spot 36 of the same cohesive substance on the reverse side of strap 33. The long strip of adhesive 35, in cooperation with spot 36, provides suitable means for size adjustment.

Similar cohesive strips may be printed at the bottom edge of the bib as shown at 38 and 39, whereby when the bottom edge is folded up over the bib body portion on fold line 41 an optional crumb-catching pocket is provided.

In FIG. 4, the bib is shown in a convenient continuous roll form 43. In the preferred embodiment shown, it is noted that two neck openings 42 and 42a adjoin each other, so that the alternate pairs of bibs are fastened together at the yoke area and then at the bottom main body portion area by alternate lines of perforation. In this embodiment, the manufacture of a continuous strip of attached bibs is simplified in that two neck openings, and the subsequent folding and sealing of the upper'edges to form reinforced straps, may be completed in one operation. However, it is understood that the advantages of the invention may still be enjoyed if the continuous strip is arranged with the yoke portion of each bib attached by perforations to the bottom main body portion of each succeeding bib. In FIG. 4, the bibs are detachably connected to each other in the roll by lines of weakness 44 and 45. Areas of cohesive material may also be applied in the locations shown, as previously described, for attachment purposes and to provide a crumb-catching pocket, if desired.

While the bib is shown in the drawing both in the form of individual sheets and as part of a continuous roll from which it may be detached along lines of perforation, another form of packaging may comprise a flat stack of similarly interconnected bibs, folded along the lines of perforation. This latter arrangement also provides a convenient put-up for manufacturing and marketing purposes.

While the above description anddrawings are specific to a bib in which the yoke portion or neck strips comprise laminations provided by singly folding over adjacent diecut central sections of the sheet material from which the bib is made, it will readily be seen that the central sections may be folded a number of times to provide multiple layers in the laminated area and to provide a still stronger yoke or fastening tab portion.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved disposable bib of one-piece construction formed from a substantially rectangular piece of flexible sheet material having an absorbent face of fibrous cellulosic material and a moisture repellent backing of thermoplasticmaterial; said bib comprising a lower, main body portion and an upper, yoke portion; said main body portion comprising the lower section of said rectangular sheet material and consisting'of substantially more than half the total area of said sheet; said yoke portion comprising the remainder of said sheet material adapted to extend upwardly from each side of said main body portion in the form of narrow laminated strips; said strips comprising the marginal outer sections of the upper portion of said sheet material having one-half of the adjoining central section of the sheet material in said upper portion folded and overlying completely the adjoining outer section with the thermoplastic material in engagement, and said central section halves being adhesively secured to said outer sections throughout their common area of contact.

2. The bib of claim 1 in which the absorbent face material is cellulose wadding and the backing is a thin plastic film.

3. The bib of claim 3 in which the plastic film is polyethylene.

4. The bib of claim 1 in which the adhesive attachment of the overlying sections of the sheet material comprising the laminated strips of the yoke portion is provided by fusion of said thermoplastic material.

5. A strip of interconnected disposable bibs; each of said bibs comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of flexible material detachably secured to a following sheet by lines of perforation; each bib comprising a main body portion and a yoke portion; said main body portion comprising more than half the total area adjoining one end of said sheet; said yoke portion comprising the remaining area of said sheet adapted to provide narrow laminated strips at each side of said sheet extending from said main body portion to the other end of said sheet; said strips comprising marginal outer sections of said sheet with adjoining halves of the central section of said sheet in the yoke portion folded thereover and completely covering each of said outer sections, and being attached to said outer sections throughout the area provided by the contacting surfaces of said outer and central sections; said flexible material comprising sheet material having an absorbent face of fibrous cellulosic material and a moisture repellent backing of thermoplastic material; said thermoplastic material providing the means for the overall attachment of said outer and central sections.

6. The strip of disposable bibs of claim 5 wherein alternate sequential pairs of bibs are attached yoke portion to yoke portion, and main body portion to main body portion, by said lines of perforation.

7. The strip of disposable bibs of claim 5 in which the yoke portion of one bib is attached to the main body portion of the succeeding bib by said lines of perforation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,165,533

12/1915 Nelson 2-50 2,224,746 12/ 1940 Richstein 20658 2,865,023 12/1958 Anderson 2-50 3,001,646 9/1961 Cooper 20658 3,050,185 8/1962 Crain 2O6----56 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM T. DIXSON, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,332,547 July 25, 1967 Carl H. Rowe et al.

e above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that error appears in th ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should rea corrected below.

Column 4, line 9, for the claim reference numeral "3" read 2 Signed and sealed this 26th day of November 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

EDWARD J. BRENNER 

5. A STRIP OF INTERCONNECTED DISPOSABLE BIBS; EACH OF SAID BIBS COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SHEET OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL DETACHABLY SECURED TO A FOLLOWING SHEET BY LINES OF PERFORATION; EACH BIB COMPRISING A MAIN BODY PORTION AND A YOKE PORTION; SAID MAIN BODY PORTION COMPRISING MORE THAN HALF THE TOTAL AREA ADJOINING ONE END OF SAID SHEET; SAID YOKE PORTION COMPRISING THE REMAINING AREA OF SAID SHEET ADAPTED TO PROVIDE NARROW LAMINATED STRIPS AT EACH SIDE OF SAID SHEET EXTENDING FROM SAID MAIN BODY PORTION TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SHEET; SAID STRIPS COMPRISING MARGINAL OUTER SECTIONS OF SAID SHEET WITH ADJOINING HALVES OF THE CENTRAL SECTION OF SAID SHEET IN THE YOKE PORTION FOLDED THEREOVER AND COMPLETELY COVERING EACH OF SAID OUTER SECTIONS, AND BEING ATTACHED TO SAID OUTER SECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE AREA PROVIDED BY THE CONTACTING SURFACES OF SAID OUTER AND CENTRAL SECTIONS; SAID FLEXIBLE MATERIAL COMPRISING SHEET MATERIAL HAVING AN ABSORBENT FACE OF FIBROUS CELLULOSIC MATERIAL AND A MOISTURE REPELLENT BACKING OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL; SAID THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL PROVIDING THE MEANS FOR THE OVERALL ATTACHMENT OF SAID OUTER AND CENTRAL SECTIONS. 